On April 26, 2022, Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin welcomed Dr. Samira Asma, Assistant Director of the World Health Organization Head Office in Geneva, Dr. Stella Chungong, Director of Health Security Preparedness, the WHO senior management team, and executives from the Ministry of Public Health, on the occasion of meeting the Labour Minister to discuss the pilot project of the review mechanism for public health emergencies and universal health from the implementation of policies and best practices by the Ministry of Labour. The efforts follow government policy to help workers amid the COVID-19 situation. The Labour Minister’s Advisor, Mrs. Thiwalrat Angkinan, Secretariat to the Labour Minister, Mr. Suthep Chitvong, Assistant Ministers from the Prime Minister’s Office performing duties for the Ministry of Labour Police Major General Nantachat Supamongkol, and Mr. Suthi Sukosol, the Ministry of Labour’s Spokesperson (on politics), Mrs. Thienrat Navamawat, Deputy Permanent Secretary Ms. Bubpha Rueangsud, and the Ministry of Labour’s executives joined the occasion at the Chatumongkol Room, 6th floor, Ministry of Labour.
Mr. Suchart said that Thailand is one of the countries recognized by the World Health Organization for managing the COVID-19 pandemic effectively. It is the result of agencies working together following the government’s policy. The Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, and the Ministry of Labour, under the supervision of Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, are concerned about the people and workers from the situation. The workforce can be regarded as a cog that plays an important role in driving the country’s economy to be prosperous and stable. Therefore, the Ministry of Labour has worked with many agencies, especially the Ministry of Public Health, to assist. Examples include the management of foreign workers to bring them into the legal system, the Factory Sandbox project, the proactive RT-PCR 100% screening under the “Workforce Fighting Together” project, the supply of beds in Hospitels to support the treatment of COVID-19 patients, opening a hotline to help coordinate the availability of beds for COVID-19 patient care, and setting up vaccination centers for Section 33 insured persons.
Mr. Suchart said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Labour was concerned about the workforce and hastened to assist in following government policies to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The efforts created collective immunity, and the workforce was able to maintain employment to support businesses in moving forward to create economic value, especially in the export sector, which continues to grow. Therefore, the Factory Sandbox project was implemented with four main principles: First, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism and service sectors, which are important sources of income for the country, were widely affected. The government had to maintain employment and maintain the export sector, which has over 2 million workers in four industries, namely food, medical equipment, automobiles, and electronic components, as many countries could not export goods. Secondly, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines were limited. Therefore, they were allocated to the elderly first. At the same time, the Ministry of Labour recognized the importance of the workforce, which is a key cog in driving the country’s economy. Therefore, the allocation of vaccines from the government and the Ministry of Public Health was requested to build immunization among the workforce, preventing them from spreading the virus to the elderly and family members. Thus the Factory Sandbox project was launched following the government’s policy, with economic and public health principles. They also provided examinations, treatment, control, care, remedies, assistance, vaccinations, and COVID-19 screening to support business operations. Third, the Social Security Office has a network of over 200 private hospitals nationwide. There are teams of doctors and nurses with the potential and ready to support medical and public health services during the COVID-19 situation. Therefore, these resources were relied on for screening, care, and vaccination for the workers and insured persons in the social security system. Lastly, the Ministry of Labour has worked closely with unions. As a result, the implementation of such projects could solve real problems. Objectives were met, including the needs of enterprises and their workers.
“The Ministry of Labour thanks the World Health Organization, the Department of Disease Control, the Ministry of Public Health, and all relevant departments for supporting the government’s policy to keep workers safe from COVID-19. The export business has grown over the past 11 years. Businesses have been supported to maintain employment, and in some companies, bonuses were paid up to 8 times. This reflects that the export business, especially the automotive and parts group, has continued employment. Entrepreneurs can continue their businesses, and automotive employees have a better quality of life. It helps build the nation’s economy to overcome the Covid-19 situation,” said Mr. Suchart.
Dr. Samira Asma thanked the Ministry of Labour for the discussion so that Thailand could participate in the pilot project to review the mechanism for preparing for public health emergencies and universal health. She commended the government, the Ministry of Labour, the NHSO, and the private sector for finding a balance in the health care of workers during the COVID-19 pandemic while businesses could continue. The efforts focused not only on the economy but also on the economic principles of health care, taking into account the human rights principles of workers in Thailand. This is a policy and best practice for foreigners to learn from, with the experience of risk management, to apply it in times of crisis.
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Division of Public Relations
26 April 2022
